WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Saying that time is of the essence, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky
(D-IL) today hailed the passage of an amendment to ensure that Holocaust
survivors and families of victims receive a measure of justice as soon
as possible. The Slaughter/Waxman/Schakowsky amendment was included
in the Foreign Relations Authorizations Act.
Schakowsky
is also working with Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) on legislation
to exempt Holocaust reparations from federal taxes.
Below
is Schakowsky’s statement
“My
district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois includes Skokie, and
is home to one of the largest survivor populations in this country and.
With passage of this amendment, the House made it clear to survivors in
my district, across the U.S., and to the international community that the
United States places the utmost importance on providing some measure of
justice, albeit long overdue, to those who suffered the worst atrocity
of the last century.
“The
Amendment also puts the House clearly on record as underscoring the critical
timing of this issue for the aging Holocaust survivor population, and urges
the German Bundestag to provide the funds for disbursement by the German
Foundation to Holocaust survivors as soon as possible. In addition,
the amendment states the importance of International Commission on Holocaust
Era Insurance Claims in helping the State Department to obtain the information
necessary for completion of the report.
“Finally,
this amendment would require the Secretary of State to report biannually
to the Congress on the status of the agreement between the United States
and Germany to provide for restitution to Holocaust survivors and their
families. The report will detail whether or not the German Foundation
“Remembrance, Responsibility, and the Future,” that was set up to be the
sole entity to provide claims payments to survivors is operating in an
appropriate manner.” |